Of Potions and Animagi
by Kayle Murzim
Summary: Not everybody is what they appear to the public eye. For better or worse, this is a lesson many will learn. Follows the Marauders through their last year at Hogwarts and early adulthood. SB/OC, RL/OC, JP/LE
1. Chapter 1

**Disclaimer: I do not own Harry Potter and profit in no way from this story.**

* * *

Dakota sighed as she plopped down on her four-poster bed. The first day of seventh year! She couldn't believe it. It felt like just yesterday she was opening her Hogwarts letter and beginning her journey into the wizarding world. Her parents, both muggles, had definitely been in for a shock that day.

She felt herself smiling as she nimbly unbraided her long, naturally blonde hair. Her best friend, Anna, was pulling her night clothes from the trunk at the foot of the next bed. Dakota started gathering her own clothes, throwing a dirty sock in Anna's directions. "Doesn't it feel so good to be back?"

Anna rolled her eyes and threw the sock back in Dakota's direction. "You say that every year, Koty."

"Yea, yea. I know, but every year it's always true!" She was always excited to come back to Hogwarts. Even though she thoroughly enjoyed spending time with her parents and two brothers, Hogwarts had just became her home over the last six years.

"We will see if you're still saying that tomorrow after N.E.W.T. Potions with Slughorn."

Dakota wrinkled her nose in response and walked across the sixth year Ravenclaw girls' room to the bathroom. She clumsily changed clothes and started brushing her teeth, while examining herself in the mirror over the sink. Her long blonde hair fell in messy waves to the small of her back, and her cheeks and nose were softly spattered with a light array of freckles. In her own opinion, her eyes were her best quality, though. They were a very pretty shade of blue that she had inherited from her father, her left eye, however, was just a smidge darker shade than her right. She considered herself about average height for a girl her age and though she wasn't extremely thin, she was toned from her years as chaser on the Ravenclaw Quidditch team. She flashed a smile to herself in the mirror to make sure her teeth were nice and clean before walking back into the dorm room.

Anna, who stood just slightly taller than Dakota, with boob-length brown hair and bright green eyes, was already snoring when Dakota crossed the room. Her other roommates were gathering their things for classes the next day and she opened her trunk back up to do the same.

Feeling confident that she was ready for her first lesson of seventh year, she sat down on her bed, writing a short entry in her journal before pulling the blue curtains around her bed. Neptune, her handsome grey and white, short haired cat lie on the foot of her bed purring with contentment as she drifted off to sleep.

* * *

"Ok, you were right, that was pretty excruciating." Dakota pulled her bag further onto her shoulder as she walked with Anna down the long hallway away from the Potions classroom, feeling as if their brains had been severely fried. "If that's any indication of how the rest of the year is going to go, I don't know if I am going to survive."

"Please. At least you're good at potions! Myself, on the other hand, I will be stuck in the library every free second to have any chance at all of passing my N.E.W.T."

"Look out!"

"Coming through!"

The girls moved to the side just in time to avoid being ran over by the group of Gryffindor boys that had been dubbed the Marauders in the years past. Anna huffed and rolled her eyes. "Seriously? I cannot believe they all got into N.E.W.T. Potions. Remus, sure, but the others?"

"Unfortunately, they are not lacking in the intelligence department." Lily Evans, one of the Gryffindor girls walked up beside Dakota.

"Unfortunately?" They were both rather fond of the red-headed Gryffindor from the many encounters they had with each other throughout the last six years.

"Yes, unfortunately! This just gives Potter that many more chances to hit on me. Not to mention Dumbledore made him HEAD BOY! I mean, seriously, what was he thinking?"

Dakota looked at her with raised eyebrows, "Head Boy? Shit. I did not see that one coming."

Lily huffed and picked up speed, "I'll catch you guys later, I have to get to Ancient Runes."

Anna pushed her brown hair behind her ears, "Though annoying, we all have to admit those boys are easy on the eyes."

Dakota laughed and agreed. It was an undeniable fact.

James Potter, with his constantly messy black hair and Quidditch muscles, was definitely eye candy. He was Gryffindor Quidditch captain and a fellow chaser. He was also madly in love with Lily Evans and had eyes for nobody else. That didn't keep half of the female population at Hogwarts from trying, though.

Remus Lupin was ruggedly handsome, with short dirty blonde hair and wonderful blue eyes. He was extremely smart but had always struck Dakota as guarded. She had spoken to him on many occasions, though, and had always gotten along with the boy.

Peter Pettigrew was the least fortunate looking of the four boys. His mousey blonde hair was already thin and wispy, despite his young age. He had an overall creepiness about him that his friends seemed to offset. Though he seemed misplaced, the other three treated him like a brother and never left him out of their shenanigans.

Finally, there was Sirius Black. He was tall, naturally tan, muscular, and the main character in every girl's dreams at Hogwarts. The half of the girls that hadn't slept with him, wanted to. His black hair fell to about his shoulders and his eyes were a handsome grey color. He always seemed to be in a good mood, except when Slytherins were around, and then all of the Marauders had a demeanor change. Not that she could blame them, most of the Slytherin population was in deed bad news.

They all seemed relatively intelligent, though equally annoying and immature.

Anna gave her a pointed look, "Tell me you wouldn't jump their bones if given the chance."

Dakota laughed and thought about it a minute. "Well, if I had to choose one, I think I would pick Remus."

"Really? I mean, ok, I can see the attraction, but I would have guessed James or Sirius for you."

"Oh they are definitely sexy, but James has eyes only for Lily and Sirius is a major player. I think Remus would be more my type."

When they reached the Ravenclaw common room, it was crammed full of both new and returning students. Dakota always thought it was fun watching the first years, who were easy to spot cowering in the corners of the room, often in groups. As the year would go on, however, they always gained confidence and found their own spots in the school.

In their dorm room, Koty pulled her hair into a messy bun and sat down on her bed. "I have a free period now so I think I'm going to talk a walk before lunch."

Anna was already gathering her things for Divination. "Alright, I'll catch you in the great hall in a bit."

* * *

Dakota decided to take a walk around the lake and enjoy the feel of the sun against her face. She had the sleeves of her white uniform shirt rolled up and had replaced her school shoes and socks with a pair of flip flops. She watched as other students were enjoying their free periods lounging around the grounds and some even going swimming, despite the giant squid that terrified most students and for good reason.

She couldn't help but focus in on a certain group of Gryffindor boys that seemed to defy the giant squid's claim on the water and were whooping and hollering while pushing each other into the lake. She smiled to herself at their antics. Though they had a rebellious reputation, they did always seem to have fun. They also looked bloody good with their uniforms clinging to their every muscle.

Her attention then focused on the hut sitting towards the end of the grounds. She made a mental note to pay Hagrid a visit very soon. She was very fond of the giant man. They shared a love of all creatures, magical or not, and he always offered her a friendly conversation.

As she made her way further around the lake, she seen the Quidditch pitch. She was very excited for Quidditch season to start. She had played as a chaser on the Ravenclaw team since third year. Last year they barely lost the cup to Gryffindor and she was determined to not let that happen this year.

Dakota pushed some stray hairs out of her face as she completed her route around the lake. Sitting down against a tree, she found herself wishing she had brought her sketchbook to keep her busy until lunch. She enjoyed quiet times like this when she could just sit and think. Drawing was a hobby of hers, not one that she was particularly good at, but one that she none the less enjoyed doing. The quiet didn't last long, however, as a large black dog bounded across in front of her. She cursed as she tried to convince her heart not to burst out of her chest. Where did he come from?

The large black beast made its way back towards her and slowed as it got close. She held her hand out and called for the dog to come to her. He had come from the direction of the Forbidden Forest. She looked around as if she could find the answer just hanging in the air. "Hey, fella. What are you doing out here?"

He walked up to her, his neck outstretched so that he could sniff her hand. She reached up and scratched the side of his head, before moving up and scratching him behind the ears. "You like that, boy? Yea, you do, don't you?" She sat on her knees petting the shaggy black dog as he wagged his tail and rolled over as if to say _please rub my belly!_ Dakota happily obliged, smiling at the happy dog.

He jumped up and seemed to disappear just as quickly as he had appeared. Dakota watched him run towards the Forbidden Forest as she stood and dusted herself off, thankful it was almost lunchtime as her stomach let out a ferocious growl.

* * *

Sirius transformed out of his animagus form, walking a ways down the forest line before emerging back out onto the grounds. Jogging back over to his friends, he held his hand out. "I got a belly rub in less than five minutes. That'll be 10 sickles."

James shook his head and handed to money over to Sirius. "You cheated! You targeted Jinks and everyone knows she's an animal lover."

Sirius laughed, "Hey, she was there, she's cute, and the bet was already made. I wasn't passing up that opportunity." He wagged his eyebrows to further his point.

Remus shook his head, "She is so out of your league, Padfoot."

Sirius put his hand to his chest, "That hurts, Moony. That hurts right here." He patted his chest to emphasize. "Besides, what makes her so 'out of my league'?"

"Well, let's see. She has an IQ higher than four."

Sirius laughed and shoved Remus' shoulder. He knew that he was joking, though Sirius had never had much luck with Ravenclaws. He chalked it up to the fact that they spent too much time studying to appreciate his charms. Though there was one seventh year that had been flirting with him for a while. He couldn't remember her name right off, but thought she might give him something to occupy himself this weekend and blow off the stress of the first week.

He had never thought much about Jinks before. Probably because she had never shown him much attention, which meant there were much easier girls available. He always had a line of girls willing to do anything and everything that he wanted.

He never dated them though. Slept with them more than once? Sure, in some instances, but he never let it go further than a physical relationship. He had too much baggage of his own and didn't care about anyone else's, other than his friends.

James started gathering his things, "Let's head to lunch, guys, I'm starving."

"When are you NOT starving, Prongs?"

"That's beside the point, Wormtail!"

The boys finished gathering their things, casting drying spells on themselves as they made their way back to the castle.

* * *

The first week of school was almost over. With only Transfiguration left between them and the weekend, Dakota and Anna were waiting at their desk anxiously for McGonagall to start. Their N.E.W.T. class was relatively small, seeing as how McGonagall only accepted students that got an E or higher on their O.W.L.s after fifth year. Last year, there were even several students who were accepted and then decided they couldn't handle it and dropped the class, having to decide on new career paths.

Dakota had been set on her own career path ever since she could remember, even before she knew she was a witch. She loved animals, and when she was a child she wanted to be a veterinarian. Now that she had been introduced to the wizarding world, her interests turned to magical creatures instead. That was why she and Hagrid got along so well.

Anna had similar career interests, except hers included people. She was intent that she was going to be a healer. Having a muggle doctor as a mother and a wizard healer as a father, she had never even imagined herself being anything else. Sometimes her mother was slightly put off that her daughter didn't want to pursue muggle medicine, but she understood and accepted her daughter's choices.

McGonagall came through the door in a bout of robes and ordered everyone to take out their parchment and quills. With a wave of her wand, the board at the front of the room was suddenly full of notes.

"As seventh years, I expect only the best from my students. This year, each of you will choose a topic in transfiguration that interests you and compile an essay by Christmas. I am not setting a specific length to this project." She paused as she looked around the classroom at the anxious seventh years. "But I expect it to show a full semesters worth of work."

Dakota and Anna exchanged a glance as they each started thinking about what they might research.

"Take out your books and turn to page fifty-five."

After what seemed like forever, Transfiguration was over and the weekend had officially begun.

Anna jumped onto her bed, face first, "So, other than the pile of homework that our lovely professors decided we needed on our FIRST weekend back at school, what are we going to do this weekend?"

Ellie, who occupied the bed beside Dakota and was currently brushing her hair out, spoke up. "I have a huge Ancient Runes assignment due Monday. MONDAY. I swear, they are trying to kill us this year!"

Ellie was a petite girl with short black hair and chocolatey brown eyes. Though Anna had been Dakota's best friend since day one at Hogwarts, she and Ellie were also close.

Alicia, their fourth roommate, was a tall girl with big boobs. She had blonde hair and bright green eyes. She was extremely pretty in Dakota's opinion. She was also a pretty big bitch that hated all three of her roommates, though she hid it (somewhat well) under sarcasm. She walked into the room, laying her bag on her bed. "Ok guys, guess what?"

Anna, Dakota, and Ellie all exchanged glances, silently asking each other why Alicia thought they even cared. She had always been quite mean to all of them. Dakota couldn't even remember a time when she wasn't. It seemed like Alicia had decided against them from day one. Finally, Dakota bit, "What?"

"I have a date with none other than Sirius Black this weekend!"

They all stifled giggles. Alicia had been after Sirius since second year.

Anna raised her eyebrows, "By date, you mean you're going to shag in the broom closet." A statement, not a question.

Alicia threw her a dirty look before recollecting herself. "It's ok to be jealous, Anna. We all know you're a virgin."

"Better to be a virgin than a whore, darling."

Alicia shrugged, "So says the virgin."

With that she walked out of the dorm and disappeared down the stairs.

Anna fumed, "I hate her. I hate her so bad."

Ellie gathered her books, preparing to head to the library. "Don't let her get to you, Anna. She's celebrating now, but she'll be sobbing next week. We all know how Black operates. If she's dumb enough to fall for it, let her."

When the door shut behind her, Anna looked at Dakota with a heated expression for all of two minutes before they both burst out laughing at how right Ellie was. "Come on, let's go for a run before supper."

* * *

 **Mainly a prologue to introduce some characters! Reviews are greatly appreciated!**


	2. Chapter 2

Sirius groaned and leaned his head back against the wall, his hands wrapped through Alicia's hair as her mouth worked its magic on him. They were in an abandoned classroom on the fifth floor, one that Sirius was very familiar with. This was generally where he brought girls when he needed to work out his stress and frustrations.

Alicia stood and ran her hands under Sirius' shirt, enjoying the feel of his abs. He pulled his pants up enough to keep from tripping before picking her up, his mouth meeting hers as her legs wrapped around his waist. He stumbled over to the old, dusty teacher's desk and sat her on top before pushing his pants back down and flipping her onto her stomach.

It was late Sunday evening when he left the classroom, and Alicia. Thoughtlessly, he found himself at a frequent haunt of his, the Astronomy tower. Lighting a cigarette, he leaned on the wall and let his eyes wonder over the grounds. He closed his eyes and enjoyed the feel of the night breeze against his face as he exhaled a puff of smoke.

He started when he heard the tower door creak open. It was the Ravenclaw that he used to win the belly rub bet, Jinks, and she was carrying her Astronomy book. He looked her over while she was still oblivious to his presence and definitely appreciated what he saw. She wasn't textbook pretty, like the girl he had just left in the classroom and she didn't have near enough boobs to suit his taste, but he had to admit she was still attractive. She wasn't in her uniform, opting instead for some grey cloth shorts that showed off her toned legs and a blue short sleeved t-shirt that clung to her figure. Her hair was down in natural waves around her shoulders and it didn't look like she had much make up on. It was clear that she wasn't expecting to run into anyone tonight.

"Star gazing?"

Sirius grinned when she jumped and dropped her book to the ground.

"Jeez, Black, you scared the shit out of me!" She exhaled loudly, trying to regain her composure. She had definitely not expected to see anyone up here tonight. Subconsciously pulling at her shorts as if she could will them to lengthen, she started to reach for her book but Sirius beat her to it.

"Thanks." As she took her book from him she couldn't help but notice that he looked a bit of a mess. His white shirt was only half buttoned and his tie hung loose around his neck. His hair was a complete wreck, even more so than usual, and he had a cigarette in his hand.

Then she remembered Alicia's gloating and smirked knowingly, "I guess Alicia is pretty happy right about now."

"Who?" Sirius paused. From the look on her face that was probably not the best answer. Alicia. Alicia? Ohhhhhhh, Alicia. "Of course she is." Taking a final draw off his cigarette, he flicked it over the tower wall. "Homework already?" He motioned toward the book in her hand. What a Ravenclaw.

"As if you don't have some. I'm just trying to get a jump start on mine. Getting behind the first week of school sets a bad pace for the year."

"Spending the first weekend back doing homework sets a bad pace also."

She rolled her eyes, "Considering your extracurricular activities, I can see how you would think so. I, however, plan to be well prepared for N.E.W.T.s." She sat down in the middle of the tower floor and opened her book to chapter seven, expecting the conversation to be over.

Instead of leaving, though, Sirius sat down a few feet from her and crossed his legs. He wasn't in N.E.W.T. Astronomy but he did enjoy the subject nonetheless. "What are you studying?"

She looked at him curiously, not sure why he was still on the roof. "I'm tracking he movement of Jupiter for a project."

He stretched his legs out in front of him and leaned back on his elbows. "Sometimes I regret not taking N.E.W.T. Astronomy."

Dakota brushed her hair behind her ears. "Why didn't you?"

He shrugged, "I don't need it to be an auror. Potions, Defense Against the Dark Arts, Transfiguration, and Charms. Then I'm taking Herbology and Muggle Studies."

Dakota raised her eyebrows, impressed. "An auror, huh? Interested in locking all the bad guys away?"

She said it in a joking manner, though when Sirius answered there was no trace of humor in his voice. "Absolutely."

She nodded her head, slightly taken aback by his intensity. Finally she broke away to find Jupiter in the night sky.

Sirius didn't really know why he was still on the roof. His cigarette was long gone and with Dakota there now, it wasn't the sanctuary that it normally was. He was intrigued by this girl though. He had never had even one conversation with her but he found her interesting. She also looked like she would be an excellent shag.

She was scratching away at her parchment, glancing in the sky intermittently, "Are you excited for Quidditch to start?"

Sirius smirked, "Excited to win the Cup again."

She threw a glare at him, "You guys are going down, Black."

He let out a barking laugh and decided to light another cigarette.

"You wish, Jinks. You guys will need a new seeker before you can think about winner anything."

Dakota pretended to be appalled, though in reality it was definitely their seeker that kept them from the cup last year. The pickings had been thin when tryouts came around and they went with the best option they had available at the time. "Jory isn't that bad!"

Sirius gave her a pointed look that clearly said 'we both know that's a load of bull'. Finally, she could hold a straight face no longer and they both burst out laughing.

"Ok, ok. He is pretty bad."

"Pretty bad? You guys had Slytherin the last match of the year and he blew it." He took a draw from his cigarette and exhaled smoke, blowing to the left, away from Dakota.

Dakota couldn't help but laugh, even though she was bitter over the memory of their giant loss that ended up costing them the cup last year. "Hopefully we'll have some fresh meat at tryouts this year."

"Hopefully you won't."

She glared at him and he let out a very attractive bark-like laugh. Looking up at the night sky, he took another draw off of his cigarette, giving her the opportunity to inconspicuously examine him. He was definitely very handsome. His face had lost its teenage boyishness and tonight he had a five o'clock shadow that she knew would be gone by class tomorrow, as she couldn't recall ever seeing him with facial hair. He had an intensity about him, even when he was joking around, that she had never really noticed until tonight.

He glanced over and caught her staring, causing a blush to form on her cheeks as she diverted her attention back to Jupiter, trying to pretend that she didn't just embarrass herself.

He smirked to himself, thinking how cute she looked flushed, and how easy it was to make her do so. It made him wonder how easy it would be to set her whole body on fire, not just her face.

He stood up and flicked his cigarette over the wall and motioned towards the door. "Potions in the morning. See you then."

She smiled and bid him goodnight, watching as he left the tower. The talk of his charms were definitely not exaggerated. She could see how girls would fall all over him in attempts to get their turn in his bed. She couldn't help but think that shagging him would definitely be a memorable experience for the girls that had succeeded. At the same time, though, she didn't really understand how they could line up to sleep with him KNOWING that they would never have a relationship. She couldn't remember ever hearing of Sirius Black having a relationship with anybody in their years at Hogwarts, and she was pretty sure it was something the whole school would know about.

She, herself, was still a virgin. Not that she was really that moral, she just hadn't felt comfortable enough with anyone yet to actually want to have sex with them. Most of the boys their age were awkward and fumbling and she would like to think that when she did have sex, it would mean something.

* * *

Anna yawned over her pancakes the next morning. "What time did you get back to the dorm last night and how the hell are you not sleepy?"

Dakota laughed as she picked through her omelet. "Not everybody requires 12 hours of sleep a night."

"Ugh, I can't believe its Monday already! I don't want to go to Potions!"

Dakota laughed, "Quit complaining, its really not that bad." She stood and pulled her bag onto her shoulder, grabbing a piece of toast. "Come on, we're going to be late."

Anna poured herself a cup of coffee to drink on the way, glad that Dakota was her partner so that she would only have to half pay attention.

"Why are you so tired? You were already in bed when I got there last night."

Brushing her hair behind her ear, Anna shrugged. "I just didn't sleep well I guess."

"Hey guys! Good weekend?" Lily Evans jogged to catch up with them and smiled her dazzling smile.

Dakota tucked the information about Anna away for later. "It wasn't bad. I started my Astronomy project, though I've still not decided exactly what I want to do for Transfiguration yet."

"I haven't either, maybe we should hit the library together this evening and look?"

"Yea, sure, sounds good."

They pushed the dungeon door open and took their seats among the other seventh year N.E.W.T. students. Slughorn was already at his desk, scribbling away at a piece of parchment. "Good morning, everybody! Today is going to be an exciting class."

Anna nudged Dakota with her elbow, "Slughorn's 'exciting' means this is probably going to blow".

He stood up and instructed the students to follow suit. "Now," He waved his wand and something appeared on the blackboard. Paired names. It was paired names. He was assigning them partners. Dakota's forehead hit the desk with a thud as the entire glass groaned and started to protest.

"Now, now! This is not for the entire year, just for a special project we are going to start!"

Anna was devastated, "Whaaat? What the hell am I going to do if you're not my partner?" Their eyes scanned the board anxiously. "Gregory Davis." She rubbed the bridge of her nose, "Any clue if he's any good at this?"

Dakota was already collecting her books. "You will be fine, Ann. You're better at this than you give yourself credit for."

Anna's eyes continued to scan the board, "Why are you so calm, who are you with?" She then glared at Dakota, "No wonder you're so accepting, you got Remus Lupin!"

Dakota waggled her eyebrows at Anna before turning around to look for Remus. She was definitely relieved that she was paired with him. He was intelligent, really good at Potions, and easy on the eyes to boot. She could have been paired with much worse.

She caught Remus' eye and met him halfway through the classroom. "Hey, Dakota." He had a nice smile. "Where do you want to sit?"

She shrugged, "I prefer towards the front, but I'm fine wherever you want."

He put his hand on the small of her back and directed her towards the front of the room. The only open table was on the right side so they claimed that as theirs. "So what do you think this project is?"

She started unloading her supplies, "Knowing Slughorn, it's hard to tell. Hopefully something interesting at least. Sorry you didn't get with one of your friends."

Remus chuckled, "I'm not. Now they'll have to actually pay attention in order to pass their assignments."

"That's exactly what Anna said about losing me as a partner!"

They shared a laugh and settled into their new seats. Looking around, Dakota was interested in seeing who everybody got paired with. Gregory Davis, Anna's new partner, was a nice Hufflepuff boy that was kind of shy. He had blonde hair and green eyes and was not specifically attractive, though not unattractive either. Lily Evans got paired with James Potter. Dakota did NOT see that going well, though James looked like he was on cloud nine. Peter Pettigrew got paired with a Slytherin girl, Jaquelin Morass. She was a tall girl with a pretty face and a bad attitude. She couldn't help but feel a twinge of sympathy for Peter having to put up with her. She didn't see Sirius at first, which just made her even more curious.

"Looking for somebody?"

Dakota jumped and turned around to find Sirius standing directly behind her. She laughed and shoved his shoulder, "You just enjoy scaring the hell out of me, don't you?"

He shrugged in response, "Maybe I just think you're cute when you're flustered." He turned his attention then to Remus, "I'm with Lestrange." They shared a look between them, having a moment of silent communication that left Dakota completely in the dark as to what it was about. Sirius turned back to her and smiled, "You should trade me partners, Moony. Jinks and I could get a lot accomplished." He didn't wait for a response, winking at Dakota as he made his way back to Rodolphus.

* * *

 **Reviews appreciated!**


	3. Chapter 3

Their potions project turned out to be each group drawing the name of a potion from a cauldron on Slughorn's desk to complete over the next couple of weeks. It seemed that with each potion drawn, the projects seemed more and more difficult, all of the potions being advanced level brewing. Remus drew Amortentia for them and they made plans to meet up in the library over the next few days in order to study the instructions thoroughly before they started brewing. Lily drew Veritaserum for her and James' project, then Sirius drew the Draught of Peace for him and Redolphus. Finally, Greg drew Felix Felicis for himself and Anna.

Dakota could see the tension all over Sirius' face while he was standing next to the tall Slytherin. She actually felt bad watching him force himself to communicate as peacefully as possible with Redolphus, a look of disgust lingering on his face.

When they were dismissed, she made her way back to the Ravenclaw common room to grab her transfiguration things before going to meet Lily and start their research. She found a cozy table down the Transfiguration part of the massive library, plopping her things down. She had already pulled several books off the shelf for them to glance through and was reaching for one on a higher shelf, raised onto her tiptoes, when an arm reached over her and grasped the book.

Dakota stood very still as Sirius pulled the book down. He stood so close to her that she could feel his breath against her ear, sending chill bumps down her whole body. The smell of cigarettes and nature filled her nose and she had to put extra effort into focusing. She maneuvered to face him, putting a hand on his chest. "Ever heard of personal space, Black?" She couldn't deny that the feeling of his muscles under her hand turned her on a little.

Come on, focus Dakota. You can't be one of those girls.

"Is that how you say thank you in Ravenclaw?" He smirked at her but took a couple of steps back and handed her the book.

She put the book in her growing pile. As she turned to answer, though, Lily came around the aisle, looking at Sirius suspiciously. "What are you doing in the library, Black? Isn't it like a taboo for you?"

Sirius raised his hands to his chest, as if he were morally insulted. "What are you talking about, Evans? With marks like mine, I must practically live here."

Dakota laughed and Lily shot her a reproachful look.

"Well go live somewhere else, we have work to do."

Sirius picked up one of the books from Dakota's growing pile she had made on the table. " _The Ins and Outs of Animagi_?"

Dakota took the book from him and started looking through what she had gathered thus far, "We are looking for topics for our Transfiguration assignments."

Sirius paused briefly. He had almost forgot he was supposed to be finding a topic for their huge assignment. "Animagi, huh? Happens to be my area of expertise." He said it jokingly, knowing they would never take him serious, even though he wasn't kidding.

Lily scoffed, "Get real, Black. McGonagall says the process is an extremely difficult one that takes a very long time to accomplish. It's complex and has no practical use."

"Except for sketchy people that have a reason to want to hide." Dakota pointed out. "The only reason McGonagall is one is for personal fulfillment. She loves transfiguration."

Sirius opened his mouth to ask her how and why she knew that but Remus came around the corner and saved them all from continuing the conversation. He smiled at the girls. "Lily, Dakota."

They both smiled in return, "Hey, Remus."

He glanced at the books they had on the table, "Transfiguration?"

Dakota pushed her long hair behind her ears, "We are looking for topics. The professors are trying to kill us this year."

He nodded in agreement, "Speaking of, do you want to meet tomorrow and start on Potions?"

"Absolutely. Do you want to study down by the lake? I can grab some books while I'm here."

Remus smiled. "Sounds good." He then turned to Sirius. "Sorry to hurry off, but Padfoot and myself have somewhere to be."

Sirius pulled his bag back onto his shoulder. "Sorry ladies, I have to take my leave."

Lily rolled her eyes, "I think we will survive, Black."

* * *

Sirius laughed over his butterbeer as he sat on a bench in the kitchen, listening to Peter tell the story of how he convinced Leanne McGregor to go on a date with him on the first Hogsmeade trip.

Remus raised the fork he was using to consume his chocolate cake in salute, "I can't believe that worked, Wormtail."

They all laughed, but they were legit proud of their friend for scoring a date for their first trip.

Well, their first official trip that is. They had already made a trip a few nights before and stocked up on junk food, butterbeer, and a few bottles of firewhiskey.

"What about you, Prongs, have you asked Evans yet?"

With James being Head Boy and Lily being Head Girl, they had been forced to spend a lot of time together already this year. James was using the time to do everything in his power to get on Lily's good side. The fact that they were partnered together in Potions only seemed to up his determination, if that were even possible.

"I haven't asked her yet. I don't think I am going to."

They all stared at him momentarily, like he had grown two heads. A year had not passed, better yet, a single Hogsmeade trip had not passed where James had not asked Lily to go with him.

James shrugged, "I'm hoping that if I don't annoy her, she will see that I'm serious and trying really hard."

They all nodded their heads, admittedly impressed that James had decided to take this approach.

Remus washed his cake down with a swig of pumpkin juice, "I'm proud of you, Prongs. I think it's a good plan."

"Really? You think it'll work? What am I going to do if it doesn't, guys? This is our last year, my last chance!"

"Calm down, Prongs. It's a solid plan."

James nodded, calming himself, trying to stay confident that this would work and Lily would be his by the end of the year. His attention then turned to Sirius, remembering that his new partner was Redolphus Lestrange. "So how did Potions go?"

Sirius shrugged, "Oh, you know, the constant under the breath comments about how I'm a disgrace to purebloods, how he Dark Lord will teach us all a lesson, same ol, same ol." He said it nonchalantly, though all the talk of the Dark Lord and the brewing war made the hair stand on the back of his neck. Every day, the Daily Profit brought news of more and more deaths. It was only a matter of time before it hit close to the school.

He was also extremely worried about his brother. Regulus had been hanging around the wrong people the last couple of years. It made him fear that they would one day face each other in battle. It wasn't even a question to any of them that they wanted to fight in opposition to this rising Dark Lord. He stood for everything that was bad in the world.

"Hey, look at it this way, Pads. We can use this opportunity to make him miserable. I'm thinking we start with the hair. He likes his hair way too much."

Sirius took another drink of his butterbeer. "Moony is the lucky one, with the hot Ravenclaw. Brains _and_ beauty. You should shag that."

Peter agreed, "You should definitely shag that."

Remus laughed and shook his head, "Dakota's not like that, guys. She's a nice girl."

"You don't even know her," James pointed out.

"Well. She _seems_ like a nice girl. Not the kind to shag every boy that walks by in a broom closet."

Sirius barked out a laugh, "Broom closets can be fun if you know how to utilize the space. It's an art."

* * *

"So when are you going to give James a go?" Dakota couldn't hold the question in any longer as they sat at the table, scribbling away on their parchment. James had been after Lily since what seemed like forever. Now that they were being forced to spend so much time together, Dakota felt it was only a matter of time until Lily gave in.

"When pigs fly?"

"I understand why you are so reproachful towards him, but any other girl in this school would love to have just one date with him."

"Well, then they can have him. He's an aggravating git." Lily was currently looking through a book on untransfiguration.

"An extremely attractive aggravating git."

Lily glanced up from her notes and grinned, "He is very attractive, isn't he?"

Dakota smirked, "I knew you weren't immune to his good looks."

Lily sighed, "Of course I'm not, I have eyes." She fiddled with her quill. "You know, sometimes I think that I do want to give him a chance. Just one date. Then he turns around and does something stupid and I just can't bring myself to do it."

Dakota could see the sincerity on her face, "Just keep an open mind, Lils. People can grow."

When they collected themselves to leave the library, they both had topics. Lily chose untransfiguration and Dakota went with Animagi. Even though it wasn't a very popular topic, she found it extremely interesting. Making plans to get back together soon, the girls parted ways in the hall to head to their respective common room to prepare for dinner.

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	4. Chapter 4

Dakota sat by the lake, her long hair pulled into a braid that fell over her shoulder. It was still relatively warm out for this time of year at Hogwarts so she had removed her robes, opting instead for just her uniform in hopes of enjoying what little bit of warmth the season had left to offer. This had become her and Remus' meeting spot, where they met a couple times a week over the last several weeks to do homework. At first it was just their potions assignment, though it was at the point now that when they needed to work on it they had to meet in the dungeons. However, now they were finding other reasons to meet. They would work on Transfiguration, Charms, DADA, and any other classes they could use a study buddy in.

Remus came around one of the many large trees that sat around the lake. Dakota was already there waiting for him and he couldn't help but smile. They had really became very good friends over the last few weeks. His friends kept pushing him to start a relationship with her, and even though he found her very attractive, his romantic interest had fell upon her friend, Anna, that sometimes joined them for study sessions. He was waiting for the right time to ask Dakota to help him and put in a good word.

"Look what I brought." She glanced up at the sound of his voice and was pleasantly surprised at the sight of butterbeer and chocolate frogs.

"Just what I needed today!" She laughed and took a butterbeer from his outstretched hand.

It was just a week until the full moon and Remus was starting to feel the effects. When her hand brushed against his, he had to make himself breathe and not act stupid. This happened last month with her also. It just seemed like before he got sick every month, his testosterone was super high, which in turn made him extremely horny. He tossed the chocolate frog at her playfully, to keep the physical contact to a minimum in hopes that he wouldn't drive himself crazy.

Between studying, eating, and laughing about a joke Remus made about their DADA professor, neither of the two noticed Sirius trotting up in his animagus form until he grabbed Remus' Defense book and jumped a few feet back.

"Hey!" Remus had to stop himself from calling Sirius out by name. Sirius stopped and stared at Remus, who rolled his eyes, "Give it back."

Sirius dropped his chest to the ground, leaving his butt up and his tail wagging.

"Give. It. Back." Now was not the time, Sirius.

Dakota laughed, "He doesn't understand you, Remus." She stood up and approached him slowly. Sirius didn't move as she got closer, dropping the book at her feet and wagging his tail so she would pet him.

Remus rolled his eyes again, giving Sirius a look that plainly said, "Really?"

Dakota scratched him behind the ears and he had to admit it felt damn good. He rolled over and she continued scratching, this time on his exposed belly.

"See, Remus? He just wants a little attention."

"Be careful, Kota, you might catch _fleas_."

Sirius rolled back over and jumped up, barking at Remus in insult.

Dakota laughed, "See? You insulted him."

Before Remus could answer, the dog ran off and into the Forbidden Forest. Why did Sirius enjoy toying with him like this? He knew he just wanted him to ask the girl out, if not to date her to at least sleep with her. Remus really liked Dakota as a friend, though, and unlike Sirius he didn't find pleasure in seeing how many girls he could sleep with in a month.

Dakota sat back down next to Remus, her bright blue eyes sparkling on her lightly freckled face. She handed him his book back and joked, "You just have to speak their language."

Remus snorted at the irony. Canine just happened to be his strong suit. "I guess I'll just have to get you to teach me."

She reached across his lap to get her butterbeer that had been misplaced during Sirius' romp and Remus had to bite his lip. She smelled like strawberries. He loved the smell of strawberries. Ok, maybe James and Sirius were right and he just needed to get laid. It had, in fact, been a while so maybe that was his whole problem.

"I have to cancel for Friday, by the way. Henry has us practicing." Henry was the Ravenclaw Quidditch captain and was almost as big of a hard ass as James when it came to the sport.

"Oh yea? Did you guys find a new Seeker?"

She took a swig of her butterbeer and relished in the flavor washing down her throat, "We did! He's a sixth year, Chase Harman. Seems like he's going to be pretty good."

He laughed, "James will be devastated to hear that." He unwrapped his chocolate frog and took a bite before it could jump away.

"Harman is a punk, there's no way he can compete with Emma." They turned in time to see Sirius flick a cigarette away before he took a seat on the other side of Dakota. Emma, the Gryffindor seeker, was good. Dakota felt like Chase would definitely give her a run for her money though.

She cocked her head, "Afraid of a challenge, Black?"

He laughed a bark-like laugh. He also had forgone his robes for the evening. His white shirt was unbuttoned at the top and his tie was loose and hanging around his neck, "I've already told you, Jinks, I'm ready to win."

She turned back to Remus, "Why don't you play?"

He shrugged his shoulders. The reality of the situation was that he couldn't, seeing as how sick he got each month, but he couldn't exactly tell her that. "I find my thrill in spectating."

"So you'll be cheering me on our first match, right?" She smirked at him, knowing that their first match was set against Gryffindor.

"Like hell, he will!"

Dakota laughed, "Ok, he can cheer for you but he gets to come to my victory party when you lose."

"How about he gets to cheer for me and _you_ come to _my_ victory party when you lose."

"Ok, let's make a deal. Loser has to attend the winner's victory party after the match." She reached her hand out for him to shake and he noticed that her nails were painted a Ravenclaw blue.

Without hesitation he took her hand in his and shook. "Deal."

Their hands were still clasped and they were staring at each other intently with matching smirks when Remus interrupted, "Soooo…now that that is settled, Padfoot, can we get back to our Defense homework?"

Dakota dropped his hand and pulled her quill from her bag, turning her attention fully to Remus and pretending the exchange never happened. "Chapter 5?"

* * *

Practice that Friday was brutal. Henry was determined that they were going to win the cup this year, and with him being a seventh year, it was his last chance. Once he finally gave the signal that it was over for the day, Dakota crowded into the locker room with the rest of the team to change back into their school uniforms.

Henry approached her at her locker, leaning against the next locker in line. "I'm counting on you, Jinks." He lowered his voice, "I need you to pile on the points incase Harman isn't up to the job."

"Relax, Henry, you wouldn't have gave him the position if he wasn't up to it."

"Look how well that worked for us last year." The memory of last year's seeker failure still haunted them all.

She nodded, "This won't be like that. He flew very well today." She put her hand on his forearm, "Hey, this isn't just your last year, we're in this together."

Henry nodded and made his way over to another Chaser, Dakota assumed to tell the exact same thing he had just told her.

She was shutting her locker when Chase appeared. He was an extremely handsome sixth year. His shaggy blonde hair hung a little in his face and his eyes were a sparkling green color. He was on the tall side for their age and his chest and shoulders had well defined muscles. "I heard what you said to Henry, and I just wanted to say thanks."

"Don't thank me until you back up what I just said. He will kill us all if we lose the cup again."

He smiled and she noticed that he had pretty, straight teeth and a very nice smile. "I won't let you down." She smiled in return and collected her belongings to head to the girls shower. "Now that I have you here though," She turned back around for him to finish, "I was wondering if you would go to Hogsmeade with me tomorrow?"

She paused for a second, slightly caught off guard, before smiling, "Sure. I'd love to."

He was now smiling like an idiot. "Meet you in the common room at ten?"

"See you then." She nodded before continuing on to her shower.

* * *

Anna was flopped across her bed when Dakota walked into the dorm room. "Thank God practice is over! You've been gone allllllllll daaaaaay!"

Dakota laughed and sat on the edge of her bed, immediately joined by Neptune. She ran her hand down the cat's back and enjoyed the vibration of his purrs. "I was only gone for a couple of hours."

"Yes, but it _felt_ like all day. I have learned that I do not have a life without you, dearest friend, you can never leave me."

Dakota laughed and nimbly pulled the braid from her hair. "Well, then you will hate me this weekend."

Anna paused and glared, "Why?"

"Well. It's Hogsmeade weekend."

Her glare deepened. "Annnnnd?"

Dakota smiled cheesily, "Annnnnd, I sort of, well, have a date."

Anna stared for a second, "With Remus?"

"Seriously? Whenever you guys are around each other you practically drool on each other. I wouldn't do that."

She visibly relaxed, "Then who?"

"Our new Seeker, Chase."

"Oh, he's cute."

She stood up, much to Neptune's protest and gathered her things for a shower. "Yes, he is. I think it could be fun."

Anna waggled her eyebrows, "Like, fun, fun?"

"Let's not get ahead of ourselves." She laughed and started toward the bathroom, "Be looking through my clothes for an outfit to wear!"

* * *

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	5. Chapter 5

Dakota couldn't help but feel nervous the next morning as she pulled her clothes on in preparation for her date with Chase. After looking through her clothes with the help of Anna, she had decided on a pair of strategically ripped jeans, a blue sweater that hung off her shoulders and brought out her eyes, and her trusty converse. She decided to straighten her wavy hair, which made it appear even longer, and went with natural looking makeup.

She turned away from the mirror and twirled for Anna, "Well? How do I look?"

Anna looked her up and down, pretending to criticize, before smiling, "You look fabulous, hun."

"Now, let's just hope Chase thinks so."

"He would be bonkers not to."

Looking at herself one last time in the mirror, she grabbed her slouch backpack and started to the door. "What time are you coming into town?"

"I think I'm going to wait to head down until about noon, then get lunch at the Three Broomsticks."

Dakota nodded, smiling at Anna one last time before heading down the stairs to the common room.

Chase was already there, waiting for her at the foot of the stairs. He smiled when he seen her and she couldn't help but admire how handsome he looked. He was wearing dark washed jeans with a blue t-shirt covered by a leather jacket, and boots on his feet. "You look beautiful, Dakota."

She felt her cheeks flush. Why did she embarrass so easily? "You don't look so bad yourself."

He placed his arm around her lower back and placed a light kiss on the top of her head. She had to admit, he was full of charm. "Ready to head down?"

She nodded and they exited the common room, his arm still around her back. The walk out of the castle was uneventful. They made small talk about the Quidditch season, laughing at each other's jokes. They both nodded to Flitwick when they left the grounds and started towards the small village that everyone always looked forward to visiting.

Walking down the long path, they were passed by many other students, some on their way to Hogsmeade also, and some who had went early and were already on their way back to the castle.

"So did you have anything specific in mind that you wanted to do today?"

She looked up at Chase, who was about a head taller than her. "The only thing specific I need to do is pick up some parchment and sweets."

He nodded and started to answer when the four Gryffindor boys went running past them, on their way to the village. She shook her head with a slight smile, Remus had become a very good friend, and she had to admit the little time she had spent around the others, they had started to grow on her. She found them funny more than annoying anymore. "I will never understand how they get away with everything they get away with. I have heard horror stories about some of the things they have done to Slytherins."

Dakota laughed, "I don't know, they're ballsy. I guess that's why they are Gryffindors."

Once in the village Chase led her first to Gladrags, where she picked out a couple of items and he surprised her at the register by buying them for her. After that, they made their way through several different shops before deciding to stop by the Three Broomsticks for lunch. They were sitting side by side laughing over butterbeers, discussing Quidditch, their favorite and least favorite classes, and their best friends when Chase surprised her a placed a soft kiss on her lips.

It was quick and innocent and he pulled back slowly, gauging her reaction. Her face flushed until she was pretty sure it was the color of a tomato. "You're just full of surprises, aren't you?"

He smiled, "I'm sorry, I just couldn't resist any longer. I've wanted to do that since you came down the stairs this morning."

She wasn't sure exactly what to say. She had dated many guys over her last six years at Hogwarts, but none had quite the charm that Chase practically exploded with. And she loved it. She reached up and reciprocated with a short, soft kiss to his full lips. If they hadn't been sitting in the middle of the Three Broomsticks, she was pretty sure that they would have snogged each other's faces off. Not to worry, there was plenty of time for that later.

Chase wrapped his arm around her shoulders and they continued with their meals, him picking at his chips one handed. Dakota couldn't believe how well this date was going. Chase seemed amazing and it was so easy to be around him.

Leaving the Three Broomsticks, they continued popping in and out of the rest of the shops in town. Entering Zonko's, their attention immediately fell on the Marauders hoarding around the end of the first aisle in the shop.

"This. Is. Fabulous." Sirius Black was holding an entire bag of dungbombs from a shelf labeled 'Buy 2, Get 1 Free'.

James Potter seemed to be so excited he couldn't stand still. "Filch will flip when he finds out Zonko's ran a sell today."

"The only thing that could make this trip better is if Honeyduke's had one also." Remus was looking through all the different things available to see if they had anything new out.

Peter picked up a fanged Frisbee and some dungbombs, "We are going to need bigger bags to get this back to the castle."

Dakota and Chase walked past them towards the next aisle and Dakota laughed at their excitement, "Slow down, boys."

Remus turned around and smiled, "Dakota! Have you seen this sale?"

The other three boys turned when Remus spoke. Sirius eyed Chase up and down, "Aren't you the new Ravenclaw seeker?"

Dakota spoke up, "The one that's going to help kick your butt and win the bet for me? Yea, this is him."

Sirius scoffed, throwing Chase another glance around his arm full of pranking material, "Whatever you say, Jinks. See you at our victory party."

Chase returned Sirius' stare down, "Afraid of a little competition, Black?"

James pushed his glasses back up his nose, "Gryffindor is going to destroy everyone this year."

Dakota rolled her eyes and started to retort but Peter cut her off before the competition could go any further, "Enough guys. Sort it out on the pitch."

Remus shook his head at all of their competitiveness, "See you tomorrow in Potions?"

Dakota nodded before grabbing Chase's hand and walking out of the shop. "They're incorrigible."

Chase pulled on her hand, slowing her fast pace. "Let's not let them ruin our day."

She took a deep breath and nodded, "Yea, you're right. They'll learn after we make them eat their words."

He laughed, "So you have a bet with Black?"

She snorted, "Yea, whoever loses has to attend the winner's victory party and actually celebrate."

"Even more encouragement to kick their asses." He wrapped his arm back around the small of her back and led her towards the outskirts of town. They walked the path that led by the shrieking shack, where they stopped to sight see. "It doesn't matter how many times I see this place, it still intrigues me."

She leaned on the rails that bordered the path, "Do you really think it's haunted."

"You don't?"

"Yea, I guess I do. I just think there must be more to the story that what is popularly known."

He reached up and tucked her hair behind her right ear. "And that's why you're a Ravenclaw." He took her hands in his and pulled her closer to him. There was nobody else currently on the path and it seemed like he wanted to take advantage of it. He wrapped her arms around his waist before putting his hands on either side of her neck, his thumbs brushing her cheeks. "You. Are. Beautiful." Her faced flushed as he leaned in to kiss her, pausing only when they heard a wolf whistle.

"Wow."

"Get a room."

"Or at least a broom closet."

They pulled apart to see that the Marauders had made their way up the path. Remus was trying to shove the other three past the couple, throwing Dakota an apologizing look.

Chase sighed, "Ready to head back to the castle?"

She nodded and he took her bag and slung it over his shoulder as they started back through town, her fingers lacing their way through his. They slowed their pace as they made it out of the village and wound their way up the path back to Hogwarts.

"I had a really good time today."

He looked down and smiled a dazzling smile at her, "I'm glad. You're an extremely intelligent and beautiful girl and I'd love to be able to take you out again."

She smiled and once more cursed her blushing face, "I'd really like that."

The remainder of their way to the common room was filled with comfortable small talk. Entering the blue and gold decorated room, he walked her to the stairs and handed her things to her. "I have to go find Anna."

He nodded, "Yea, my friends are probably wondering what happened to me."

She raised up slightly on her tip toes and kissed him before turning and walking up the stairs. Entering her dorm room, she closed the door and leaned back against it. Releasing a sign she opened her eyes to find Anna staring at her.

She smiled and Anna squealed. "So it went well?"

"It was fabulous, Ann."

"Tell me everything."

They spent the rest of the evening combing through every detail of the day. She gave Anna the play-by-play and she couldn't stop smiling.

"I'm so happy for you! He sounds amazing!"

"The whole day was amazing. I think we are going back out next Hogsmeade visit." Dakota brushed out her hair and started gathering her books, "Want to go to the library before dinner?"

Anna sighed, "Yea, I still need to work on my Transfiguration essay."

Once in the library, with their books scattered across two tables, the girls were hard at work when Remus came around the corner. "Hello, ladies."

They looked up simultaneously, Dakota smiled and Anna blushed. "Hey, Remus."

"I was just going to work on some Defense. Mind if I join you?"

Dakota pulled all of her books onto her side of the table, freeing up the area next to Anna for Remus to sit. She could tell that Remus had taken an interest in Anna the times that she had joined them in studying, and she knew for a fact that Anna was interested in Remus. She squealed internally, thinking how cute they would be together.

"Oh, Dakota, I'm sorry about early. At the shrieking shack."

Dakota felt her face flame at the mention of her interactions with Chase. "It's not a deal, Remus."

Anna spoke up, "She's lying, you guys interrupted a potentially amazing snog." Dakota's face flushed even deeper red and Remus laughed.

The remainder of their time in the library was spent laughing at Dakota's expense. She wasn't annoyed, though, she enjoyed watching Remus and Anna interact. It made her happy to think that they might like each other. Remus seemed like a good guy and felt they would be good together.

When it came time for dinner, they walked down to the Great Hall together. The feast was already laid out on the massive house tables so they found their seats at their appropriate tables and bid each other good night.

Dakota nudged Anna's arm, "Soooo, you and Remus?" Anna smiled and wiggled her eye brows, causing Dakota to laugh. "Are you going to ask him to the next Hogsmeade trip?"

"Ugh, I don't know. Maybe I'm too old fashion about it, but I'd like for him to ask me."

"I could put the idea in his head tomorrow at Potions."

"Don't you dare! I want him to ask me because he wants to, not because you practically make him from fear that you will dunk his head in the cauldron if he doesn't."

Dakota just stared at her for a solid five seconds before they both burst out laughing and begin piling their plates with food.

* * *

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